LEAF Downtown Well-Received Sunday, August 2 2015, 02:01 PM

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- The Lake Eden Arts Festival, or LEAF, celebrated its 20th anniversary by throwing a party in Downtown Asheville.

Organizers say they were hoping for a "friendly" atmosphere for the festival that hosted outdoor yoga, local musicians, and about 90 Asheville businesses.

"LEAF in Black Mountain is hard to get into as a vendor. I think people have such great experiences out there that there's no turnover at all. So, there's no space for new vendors," Jodi Rhoden, owner of Short Street Cakes, said.Rhoden says LEAF Downtown was her first opportunity to participate with the festival.

"We had really great crowds," Rhoden said of the opening day. "It was really great energy, really positive. Sales were great. I sold about 550 cupcakes, so I was really happy with that."

Organizers say more than 12,000 people came through Pack Square Park on Saturday. Many more are anticipated for Sunday.

The summer may not have brought much attention to those businesses, otherwise. Since Bele Chere left in 2013 and Moog chose not to throw another Asheville festival, LEAF Downtown may be filling a void.

"I think if this would be the festival that replaces Bele Chere, I would feel really positive about that because the vendors are local, the music has been really diverse," Rhoden said.

LEAF spent far less money putting this festival on than the city spent on Bele Chere. Organizers are hoping the $125,000 they spent will help build relationships within the community.

"Our primary goal is to make sure that it's family-friendly, so we can draw in a culture that lives within Asheville, that really thrives on a family unit and provides an access to the arts for the youth in the area," Adam Bowers, Development Director with LEAF, said.